411 Music Presents…2008 Year In Review: Part 1.2 - Staff Picks, Vol. 2

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 01.05.2009

The staff looks back one last time at 2008, as AC/DC, TV On The Radio, T.I. and tons others make our Top Albums, Coldplay annoys some of us, Guns N’ Roses and others surprise and disappoint us, Katy Perry and other bands break through and Metallica rises again…

Remember to check out PART ONE if you haven't already!



PART 1.2: STAFF PICKS, VOL. 2

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Dan Haggerty
(Newsman, Power Behind Music Fact Or Fiction, Ruler of The Mosh Pit)


Top Eight Albums of 2008:

1. Dismember - Dismember : Oh my, I got some chills and a big old smile playing this beast the first time. It was like the old days and discovering a classic. That's due to the pure, unquestionable raw energy that comes out on the first note, goes for the jugular, and never lets go until the album ends. Yea and verily, this album should come with a warning label for the pure damage it can due to your neck. This is pure old school Swedish death metal, born of the glory days of the Sunlight Studios (where the album was recorded on analog!), masterly mixed with modern technology without losing that raw feel, and asks no quarter while offering none. When the band does mix a little influence into their sound, they go for their original influences in Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Check out the pure Maiden tribute ending of "Under A Blood Red Sky" for Exhibit A.

It's all about the riffs, and this album dumps, throws, and pummels you with great riffs front to back, jamming them down your ears until you bleed. Instead of modern trends, textures, and experiments the band substitutes pure power and aggression. No grandstanding or fancy tricks, the band just rips out your spine and crucifies it to your headphones. Pure chops, with axes set to kill, twin leads scorching and salting the earth. And man, death metal growls are a staple in a lot of metal, but Karki isn't following any trend since he was part of the movement that introduced it, and that is evident in the hunt or be hunted brutality that rips your ear a new hole. Dismember is exactly the pure metal attack that reminds me why I love this kind of music so much.

2. Death Angel - Killing Season: Smart and energetic, interwoven in thrash with an eye towards a little groove and hardcore textures the Bay Area inspired, Killing Season is a sheer joy of unbridled axes attacking at the speed of life. There is a vital sense of energy here, a pure "happy to show up and destroy the Marshals" attitude that captures everything that is good about metal. It's more hook, groove, and even rhythm than riff at times, but man it's still tied into a ten cylinder engine that demands superior highways to cruise upon. The whole mixture calculated to optimum burning point before mixing and firing through the speakers. From the blistering pure assault of opener "Lord of Hate", to the infectious groove of "The Noose", to Master Of Puppets outtake "Resurrection Machine" this thing smokes. The band storms and sizzles through track after track of essential fist pounding tempered steel, rough around the edges but tight and on form. Classic metal yet modern, traditional but new, it's just… man, put the pedal to the metal and let's burn some rubber.

3. Grand Magus - Iron Will : Born of the right hand of Tony Iommi and steeped in high levels of the British Invasion, Iron Will stands heads and shoulders with the great traditional doom albums. Sabbath is the engine block, powered by the twin engine of Candlemass and Trouble, and Grand Magus wraps those heavy as hell riffs with more than a keen eye on the metal of British pubs circa ‘79. Thrash hits you fast and often, doom hits you less often but insures the riffs leave a mark when they do, and damn if Iron Will isn't chocked full of so many great chugging head banging riffs that it doesn't hurt the neck just thinking about it. The leads soar, intertwine, and tell a story through sheer poetry of construction, taking you back in time to a majestic place where you can feel the waves pour over the Viking longboats. Just pure, methodical win as the melody is dominated by those ten-ton riffs crashing upon your skull. Or is it your skull crashing through them? To hell with it, don't put anything breakable in front for you when you play this, otherwise your head might go through it. In a metal scene filled with so many bands going for throat destroying brutality, it's really cool to see a band with so much classic tradition put out an album that's just so awesome.

Believe in the power of involuntary head banging and testify!

4. Opeth - Watershed : The wonderful thing about Opeth is their strict adherence to a muse they alone can grasp, one they follow despite the polarizing effect their music has on the metal community. As an example, I bet half the readers will not be happy I included this album on the list, while the other half will be upset it's not number one. Count me a fan, and I firmly believe that we're witnessing one of those bands who will end up being highly influential years down the road. But really, what can I say you don't already know about this album? The band has managed to stay on form in a style they created and lone dominate, while still producing new and non-repetitive releases. They're a mad scientist mix of death metal, traditional metal, hard rock, dark tapestry filled hallways, words worth a thousand pictures, acoustical passages, and… a Hammond organ (?!). I guess extreme prog was the only inevitable title you could slap on something this large that moves through orbits of its own vision and creation. It might take you a while to wrap your brain around the full view from a hill, but this album is certainly worth the time.

5. AC/DC - Black Ice : In my highly biased, certainly selfish and uncritical fanboy opinion, this thing tears down the house. That being said, this is certainly the most vital and jazzed release from the dudes down under since… well, since the early 80's. It's bouncy without being light, bluesy without squatting too long in the deep south, and Angus just delights by dancing all over the fret board. He makes the album with some damn good guitar work, leads and solos. Sure, a few tracks could have been left off and are standard AC/DC filler (good but forgettable in a catalog this deep), but coast to coast this sounds alive, live, and the tracks that crank it up stand head and shoulders with the band's greatest work. "War Machine" is an instant classic that will rock the house down live (imagine the crowd chanting "War… Machine!"), "Rocking All The Way" has more groove than a vinyl album – try to not tap your toe to it, "Rock'n Roll Dream" borders on a beautiful inspired ballad (if still sung in a smoke filled bar after midnight), "Black Ice" has a funk to it that just makes you move, and "Rock ‘N Roll Train" slaps a silly grin on your face despite the fact you could have swore you heard it before. Hey, this album isn't technical or ground breaking, neither heavy or head banging, and certainly devoid of knowledge that rock has moved on in the last two and a half decades. It's just fun and infectious, and sometimes that is all you need. Tap a keg (or three) and have a good time. And for me, last time I checked, was the whole damn point.

6. Testament - The Formation Of Damnation : For one of thrash metal's original second tiered bands (that lofty layer of classic thrash bands under the big four back in the day), they have developed a long and loyal following despite the dearth in new music over the years. But you've got to give it up to them, in a year of great classic bands putting out new music, these guys showed up to kick ass all the way to the top of the Bay Area heap. This is still rooted in thrash, but piles on some groove and hardcore textures to really make the whole spectacle vital and alive again. But don't get me wrong, this is still very much thrash, if not pulled forward into shades of death at times, but it's the total wattage that makes things crank. Testament as a band was never about building the best riffs like many thrash bands, they were more about melody and delivery, a slight hook and a ton of energy. When bands were putting on pocket protectors to get technical, or trying to keep up with the Jones', Testament just showed up to blow the house down by being alive and real. You can engineer song structures and performance, but you can't reproduce that sense of life. The Formation Of Damnation has it in spades, built around blazing leads, splitting solos, assaulting twin attacks, and Chuck Billy cracking his head open to hand you his thoughts. Let's hope it doesn't take nine years for this group to put out another album.

7. Nachtmystium - Assassins – Black Meddle Part 1 : There is only on way to describe this band: Pink Floyd in corpse paint. You read that right. Nachtmystium is a band existing on the cutting edge of black metal evolution, more than a deep respect for the works of Pink Floyd are sprinkled through their work (read the title of the album again, plus note opening track "One Of These Nights"). It's a real smooth swirl of dense extreme guitars that give way to floating abstracts and lofty atmospheres. I'm dead serious about this band being on the cutting edge, and I think we're looking at the evolution of black metal in Assassins. This cuts easily from jagged vocals and icy screams, layered over thick buzzing axes, to creamy daydreams (nightmares?), filled with the answer to Norway's endless night in the psychedelic and progressive meanderings of Sid, Waters, and Gilmore. The Dark Side of Permafrost? Damn, I'm still listening to this album and unlocking treasures. Worth a spin if you like more extreme metal even if black metal was too far out for you; this is some really great muse right here.

8. Kataklysm - Prevail : Metal was born during the Vietnam era, and forty years later there is still plenty of conflict to be mined on the subject. Kataklysm has made a career out of painting brutally vivid pictures of war, and on Prevail they show no sign of slowing down. Vast, painful, and to the point, the band open up the bomber's bay and drops several megatons of reality all over the place. The band is still in the grips of technical brutal death, but has spiced up a few tracks with in your face hardcore moshers. Plus there is an amazing degree of hook and melody hiding under the hood of this bloody listen. I'm sure that will turn some off, but I find it a fine and regal push into interesting terrain for the band. I mean, it's not like they don't still open up with both barrels and shoot shrapnel all over the place, dropping bodies left and right. Don't you just love the smell of napalm in the morning? I said it before, and I'll say it again: If we want to defeat the Taliban, we just need to drop this album on them and be done with it. Don't worry about the oil; it'll still be there in 50 years when it's safe to return.

Most Annoying Album of the Year: DragonForce - Ultra Beatdown: Either these guys don't have a clue how their straight trajectory into self parody is destroying their credibility, or they're the smartest guys in the world for creating and sustaining their own new and improved brand of marketable metal. I can understand why they're popular, and I even dig their first album (you know, the one with some dynamic to it), but Dan Marsicano said it best when he described the band's sound as "Walt Disney fucking a keyboard".

Biggest Music News of the Year: Led Zeppelin Concert: This was something I considered the equivalent of Chinese Democracy in that it would just be a rumor until doomsday. In fact, I thought the odds were ever worse. Axl at least has investors that would insure the man eventually did something. Of course, the irony was on all of us… We got both! But Zeppelin pulled it together to do a one-off that made waves everywhere. Sadly, this will likely be it for the remaining three original members so we'll see what happens. But for one brief moment the world got a reminder just how critical this band is to the music we listen to today. And the world took notice by hyping the ever living daylights out of this brief look at greatness.

Favorite Concert of the Year: Dark Tranquility/Arch Enemy: Besides being just a great show by both bands (and opener Firewind was one of the hottest opening acts I've seen in awhile), more importantly I got to meet both bands before and after the show in the restaurant/bar attached to the venue. I'm sitting there eating a meal, and out comes everyone from Dark Tranquility to have dinner! Needless to say, meeting so many great guys and getting stuff signed was awesome. I even got a drum stick from the show signed by Daniel Erlandsson of Arch Enemy! You can't put a price on that kind of moment, so it easily wins as favorite concert. Good times.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Iced Earth - The Crucible of Man : OK album, but it just didn't resonate with me. Color me underwhelmed after the massive hype around this "Something Wicked" two album concept project, having neither the bombast a power metal album of this level should have and sadly lacking the epic feel of a story so big it took to albums tell. I'll stick to the original trilogy of songs - Now there was an album that rocked. This has nothing to do with the singer drama either (although Schaffer needs a foot put up his ass for the way he handled that), as Barlow does a good job with what he was given. Despite six extra months to "rework" the album it still doesn't sound like it was written to accommodate the man. Besides, it's the riff work that sinks things. Schaffer has a good lead guitarist. He needs to let him start writing, because it's obvious he's been cannibalizing his own catalog. Not a bad album, just average, and certainly disappointing after all the hype.

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Guns N' Roses Releases Chinese Democracy. Oh come one, did you really ever think we'd see this? No way. It was an urban legend that made for good gossip and the occasional question for me to tick off writers in Fact or Fiction. No one believed we would see this until someone decided to sue Axl for continuing to spend the investor's money without releasing anything. Even Dr. Pepper made a joke out of it. But then the amazing happened, and we actually got the album. It's almost surreal to even be talking about it. He actually put the brakes on the legend and got the thing out. Damn.

Comeback Artist of the Year: Metallica: You could literally feel everyone holding their breath waiting for the new album to come out. The silent "What if we get St. Anger Pt.2" hung in the air like a haunting specter of music disasters past. The good news was, not only did we not get a bad album, but the band reached backwards into their catalog and gave us a thrash album the likes we've been waiting two Presidencies to hear. Whether you liked Death Magnetic or not, you have to admit that they came back strong and looked like the champs we loved. And for me, for the first time in 12 years, I'm looking forward to seeing where the band goes from here! Rock on.

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Chris Crowing
(Seer of where the Crow Flies)


Top Eight Albums of 2008:

1. Metallica - Death Magnetic - Yes, I'm an avowed, dedicated Tallica fan, and I signed up for Mission Metallica, and pre-orderd the Coffin Box Set. But Death Magnetic could SO EASILY have disappointed. It did not, and from the opening arpeggio of "That Was Just Your Lifge" until the pounding in your ears fades after "My Apocalypse" I think it is one of the most cover to cover enjoyable metal albums of recent times.

Of course, it is NOT Master of Puppets but we are unlikely to see that album's like again. I've had my issues with the album. The second track sounds too much like the first, the "Unforgiven III" took a long while to grow on me (I am now thoroughly in love with the building 'forgive me..' refrain however), and the instrumental comes across as just a song without words rather than it's epic Burton-inspired predecessors, but these are small gripes in the face of the awesomeness of the album as a whole.
Death Magnetic is a riff laden monster, filled with heroic solos and some of Hetfield's best lyrics and vocal performances to date and is easily my most anticipated, most enjoyed and probably the album which will live longest on my ageing mp3 player to have been released this year.

2. Kings of Leon - Only By The Night - Once in a while, a band with real skill and songwriting ability actually makes it huge, and this year seems to belong to Kings of Leon. Sure, it's nothing new, it's not particularly edgy or anything but they seem to have that Foo Fighters-esque knack of doing the mainstream alternative rock (which is a patently silly term, but it fits what these bands do so well) thing in a pleasing, infectious yet worthy way. That and a workmate's young child asked in all innocence why that man was singing about his 'sexy on fire' and it was hilarious. Maybe you had to be there.

3. Gojira - The Way of All Flesh - For a little substance, I go to France's Gojira. Again, this isn't as good as From Mars to Sirius but it's head and shoulders above most other well known, but heavier than average bands. Songs like "Toxic Garbage Island" and "Vacuity" and fearsomely heavy and tend to inspire spontaneous head banging. I love the way Gojira seem to have applied a Queens of the Stone Age style simplicity to a death metal framework, and I think it really works. If it wasn't for a very dubiously flat bass drum sound, this would have been higher.

4. Trivium - Shogun - I bought this one on faith that Trivium had put the horrific excesses of the Crusade behind them, and to an extent they have. Sure the songs are still a tad overblown and Heafy still lapses into Hetfield karaoke, but his voice has improved and the heaviness is back in the songs. "Down from the Sky", "Throes of Perdition" and "Shogun" is some of the best arranged, well played mainstream metal I've heard in a while.

5. Opeth - Watershed - Not quite the glory that was Ghost Reveries but it's not a million miles away, and Opeth continue to show that it is VERY possible to be a black/death metal band and still retain things like melody, songwriting and craft rather than just knuckle dragging sludgy aggression.

6. Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV - A four disc long instrumental project was always going to be challenging, and this is far more deserving than the formulaic offering that was The Slip. This is of course not for everyone, but it has provided hours of pleasing background music when I've been reading or working and has often pulled me out of my other concentration with a neat passage, and that is all to its credit.

7. Glasvegas - Glasvegas - Usually I hate it when the indie music media in Britain tries their utmost to push the 'hot new band' and it turns out to be a third rate rehash of the mid-90's glory days of the Seahorses, the Bluetones and company. However, Glasvegas are a bit different, channeling some old school rockabilly style and downbeat 50's rhythms, AND singing their gritty urban soap operas in a thick Scots accent. You gotta love it. I do.

8. 36 Crazyfists - The Tide and It's Takers - Some will happily write this band off as lightweight emo fare, but I think they are immense, and this could well be their most solid album yet. Songs like "Absent Are The Saints" and "We Gave It Hell" take the aggressive directness of Lamb of God and weld it to a melodic sensibility worthy of Coheed & Cambria. This album has stayed on my playlists all year and is well worth a listen for metalheads, emo kids and pop fans alike. I DARE you not to want to jump around to this...

Most Annoying Album of the Year: Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death & All His Friends: This album is symptomatic of all that is wrong with indie music today. It is over-promoted, so everyone who reads magazines like the NME will declare it to be the best, most original album ever when in actual fact it is bland, derivative, passionless rubbish. Coldplay have talent, as songs like "Clocks" show, but they have become lazy, arrogant and in truth have nothing to say that derives from real passion, just a kind of entitled ennui that bores the hell out of me.

Biggest Music News of the Year: Led Zeppelin Reunion Rumors: There is so much, from AC/DC, Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots and Guns N' Roses returning to action, the ridiculous pronouncements of Kanye West, the "X-Factor" to the ever running soap opera that is Britney Spears. I'll go with the running debate over the potential Led Zeppelin reunion tour.

Favorite Concert of the Year: Leeds Festival et al: This would be a split decision between seeing VAST for only the second time ever at King Tut's in Glasgow, and my trip to the Leeds festival in August. At Leeds I saw the Dropkick Murphys, Avenged Sevenfold, Feeder and Tenacious D. However they were all just aperitif for the awesome, pyro laden main course that was Metallica. Brilliant, perfect gig, loved every minute of it, and can't wait for World Magnetic with Machine Head in tow in March next year.

I also need to place Biffy Clyro's gig at the SECC right up there with the best I've seen this year. Sheer brilliance.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Halted: The news that Stone Temple Pilots won't be recording any new material, and won't be bringing their US reunion tour over to Europe. Boo!

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Guns N' Roses Releases Chinese Democracy. Axl actually managed to get Chinese Democracy released. I never thought it would happen. It would have been an even bigger surprise if it had actually been good.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Biffy Clyro. Oh, this is a tough one. I think I'll have to go with Biffy Clyro as their continued work promoting last year's Puzzle album has included high profile spots at a number of festivals and their first ever arena headlining slot, only recently at the SECC. That and the stand alone single "Mountains" is possibly my favorite track of 2008.

Comeback Artist of the Year: Metallica: Without a doubt, this has to go to my favorite band ever Metallica. Following over a decade in the metal wilderness, with the alt/grunge approach of the Load albums, and the utter critical nightmare that was St. Anger (I maintain it wasn't THATbad, but that's an argument for a future column) they came back with the best promoted (I think the Mission Metallica website was a slice of utter genius), most riff fuelled, passionate, technical, valid metal album of the year and showed all the kiddies how you really play guitar. The Four Horsemen are back, and they'll be riding through a town near you on World Magnetic into 2009, and I can't wait. All together now..."Bow Down, sell your soul to me...."

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Dan Marsicano
(Newsman, What The Hell Happened To Guy)


Top Eight Albums of 2008:

1. Opeth - Watershed: The highest ranked album of 2008 by this reviewer, Watershed was an easy choice as #1. Any of the 411 staffers who personally know me saw this pick coming. Even after six months, I still find myself going back to Watershed and picking up on small details I missed on the past fifty listens. Is it Opeth's best album? That's a tough decision, but with tracks like the 70's prog-influenced "Burden" and the eccentric "The Lotus Eater," Watershed keeps pushing its way up to the top.

2. Metallica - Death Magnetic: I was surprised as anybody that Metallica still had it in them to craft a fine album. At first, I didn't think it would be this high on my list, but as time went on, Death Magnetic grew on me, enough to warrant the #2 spot. "The End of the Line," "All Nightmare Long," and "The Judas Kiss" could have been on …And Justice For All, with "My Apocalypse" a modern version of "Fight Fire With Fire." The ten-minute instrumental "Suicide and Redemption" may not be as good as the somber "Orion," but it is the best piece of music that the band has composed in over two decades.

3. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely: The Raconteurs, a side project of The White Stripes' front man Jack White, released their second album with little fanfare. Hell, they only gave the general music public a few weeks warning that they had a new album out. Releasing an album so fast after completion was something that was hardly seen in modern rock, especially an album as masterful as Consolers of the Lonely. The band avoids the sophomore slump and expands their sound, letting in influences ranging from blues to 70's rock and everywhere in-between. While Broken Boy Soldiers was a decent pop album, it didn't feel like the full potential was realized; with Consolers of the Lonely, that potential was finally revealed.

4. Cynic - Traced In Air: 15 years is a long time for wait for one album, but many metal fans have for Florida progressive death metal Cynic's new material. The ground-breaking Focus is a tough act to follow, but Cynic is able to do it with Traced In Air. While leaning towards a melodic direction, the songwriting is top-notch and the musical abilities of the band can't be denied. It's not every day you can call an album "beautiful," but Traced In Air has earned the ability to be labeled that usually-nasty word in metal music.

5. Bigelf - Cheat The Gallows: I got this album on a whim, from one of the editors at 411 Music. I had no idea what I was getting myself into with Cheat The Gallows. It's next to impossible to properly label the band; the best I've been able to put together is "classic circus upbeat progressive rock," if that makes any sense. The most eccentric release of 2008 that you never heard of, Cheat The Gallows deserves more spotlight on themselves.

6. Trivium - Shogun: As a metal-head, I will admit something that may piss off a lot of people. I liked The Crusade; yeah, it was a Metallica rip-off, but Trivium pulled it off well. Thankfully, they pushed themselves a bit with Shogun, and brought back the harsh vocals. That isn't what makes the album great though; it's the fact that the band has actually taken everything they have learned from previous albums and combined it into one solid package. From the opening drum fills of "Kirisute Gomen" to the fade-out at the end of the almost twelve-minute title track, Trivium crafted a fine metal album; no need for any labels here.

7. Scars on Broadway - Scars On Broadway: When I first bought Scars On Broadway, I was disappointed with the final product. Considering the talent of System of a Down guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian (even if nobody wants to admit it), the debut album of his new side-project felt half-finished. There were some quality numbers, especially in the beginning, but the album seemed to trail off at the end. However, over time, I grew fond of it; the later tunes started to resonate with me, and the album came together in ways I didn't imagine it to. Now, with the exception of two or three tracks, I find myself enjoying every song on Scars On Broadway. It's definitely a grower, one that takes some time to seep into your skin.

8. Total Fucking Destruction - Peace, Love, and Total Fucking Destruction: The shortest album on my list this year, Peace, Love, and Total Fucking Destruction is a 25-minute grind concept album. Yes, you read that correctly. I didn't know you could have a full-fledged story in 40 minutes, let alone 25 minutes. Did I mention that there are 23 songs on the album? A good portion of them don't even hit the minute mark, yet a story about the fourth world war, children being trained as soldiers, and corporate take-over of the planet finds its way through the album. Total Fucking Destruction is the brainchild of Brutal Truth drummer Richard Hoak, and the guy is not only a superb drummer, but a good songwriter as well. For any metal fans with an open mind, Peace, Love, and Total Fucking Destruction will cause…well, it'll cause destruction…of the total fucking kind.

Most Annoying Album of the Year: Kill What I Adore - Whatever It Takes: I reviewed this one for SMN News, so in case you missed it, here is the cliff-note version; shitty deathcore with some unnecessary hardcore breakdowns that go on for a minute-plus in almost every song. The production sounded like the band was in a large warehouse when they recorded and the songs go on for way too long. Hell, the album has two intros. TWO. That's not necessary, and so isn't three six-minute songs tacked on at the end that drags on for way too long. Just thinking about it pisses me off; Whatever It Takes is definitely worthy of "Most Annoying Album of 2008."

Biggest Music News of the Year: Pink Floyd's Richard Wright Passes Away: Yeah, it might not be the biggest story in most people's eyes, but to me, this meant any small chance of a large-scale Pink Floyd reunion was shattered. Not to mention that Wright was a hell of a keyboardist, also accentuating the mood of every Floyd song. He really never got the credit he deserved, what with the attention being on Gilmour's spectacular guitar playing and Roger Waters slow takeover of the band due to his large ego.

Favorite Concert of the Year: Liquid Tension Experiment, NYC - June 23: Liquid Tension Experiment, the instrumental side-project of Dream Theater members Mike Portnoy (drums), Jordan Rudess (keyboards), and John Petrucci (guitar), re-united after a long hiatus and played a few exclusive shows this past summer. I was at the NYC one in June, and for two hours, the band was tight and non-stop, blasting through classics, such as "Paradigm Shift" and "Acid Rain." While I didn't go to as many concerts as I would have liked, this one was definitely the top concert of 2008.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Disturbed - Indestructible: Ah, yes, the album that netted me almost 80 comments as of writing, mostly about how terrible of a writer I am and how I should be fired from 411 Music. For those wondering, I did go back to it a few times since its release, and it still isn't very good. The album just reeks of laziness; Disturbed needs to push themselves creatively, and that doesn't mean producing the album by yourself to have more supposed "creative output." Indestructible could have been good, and instead was nothing more than a mediocre rock album.
Biggest Surprise of the Year: Shinedown - The Sound of Madness: I didn't expect this album to be good…at all. So when I decided to review it, to say I wasn't eager to get my hands on it would be the understatement of the year. To my surprise, the album was great. All hard rock bands should look to The Sound of Madness as the blueprint for crafting an album with the right amount of aggressive, in-your-face tunes with the slower ballads. The album flowed consistently and the band's performances were at a high level the entire time.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year: House of Heroes - If you haven't heard of this rock band, you need to get your head examined. Their new album, The End Is Not The End, is one of the best albums of 2008. If the list could go to 10, it would definitely be at #9 on my list. "In The Valley Of The Dying Sun" is an instant classic and the fact that a modern rock band is taking a chance with an hour-long concept album gets bonus points. I'm waiting until the album comes out on CD to put a review on 411, but trust me; you need to pick this up ASAP. I may be the metal guy around these parts, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a fantastic rock band now and then. House of Heroes has been around for years, but The End Is Not The End is the album that will get them noticed, I guarantee it.

Comeback Artist of the Year: Metallica: Nobody thought that the California metal band had any chance of redeeming themselves after the travesty that was St. Anger. Well, looks like they proved us all wrong again, as Death Magnetic was a great metal album that finally got them back on track. The future looks bright for the quintet, with critical acclaim and the most momentum going for the band since The Black Album tore up the charts in 1991.

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Mike Adler
(The unchanging face of Face Off)


Top Eight Albums of 2008:

Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy: Axl's back, and he's quite good. Anything that can be said has been said already, but I'll just say that 11 out of the 14 tracks on this album are some of the best rock listening pleasure you'll get this year.

R.E.M. - Accelerate : It's R.E.M., and it's fairly decent as opposed to some of their prior 00 releases. This is their best work since Monster. Thankfully this is R.E.M. sounding vibrant and alive.

Eagles of Death Metal - Heart On: This is my favorite album of the year and it's packed with some irresistible tunes and a killer sense of humor. This is further proof that anything Josh Homme touches turns to gold. Listen to this album for "I'm your Torpedo", and stay for "Cheap Thrills."

The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely: Jack White's side project seems less like a side project on their second album, as the band comes together wonderfully, making you forget that it's Jack White and the guys from the Greenhornes. "Carolina Drama", the final track on the album, could've been released by itself, and it would've been classic but there's 12 other great songs here too.

Lucinda Williams - Little Honey: A solid effort from Williams this year. She brings an amazing blend of blues, country, and straight up rock with this release making it a great place to start if you haven't heard her stuff before.

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip: Not only is this one of the top eight albums of 2008, it's the number one bargain of the year. Cost of the album? Free...legally free. Trent Reznor just gave it away like a drunken teenager on prom night in a seedy hotel. While not NIN's best work, it's still solid effort with some great songs like "Demon Seed" and "Echoplex." And again, you can't beat the price.

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV: Wow, NIN on the list twice! While nowhere near the bargain that The Slip was, this is still a worthy listen, and it's a significant business achievement in addition to being a set of great instrumental tracks. (It's kind of like Enya from hell.) Reznor gave the finger to record labels and released this one by himself.

Judas Priest - Nostradamus: Really? A whole DOUBLE album about Nostradamus? Yes! And it works for the most part, becoming one of the top eight albums of the year. I can't get enough of the title track and "The Prophecy."

Most Annoying Album of the Year: Britney Spears - Circus: Here's why this one irks me: complete lack of artistic integrity. Spears goes through years of hell and insanity, and she releases this album, which should be a musical and artistic statement...and yet it's the same dance shit she's been putting out since she got breast implants when she was 15. Boo.

Biggest Music News of the Year: Guns N' Roses Releases Chinese Democracy: Dear God, it actually happened.

Favorite Concert of the Year: Seniors of Metal Tour, Jones Beach: This was an awesome experience from top to bottom. The parking lot scene was amazing as every metalhead converged on the Jones Beach Nokia Theater parking lot for some serious tail gating prior to the show. Quite the...interesting crowd. The music rocked also. I missed Testament, but the next act, Motorhead was awesome. Lemmy and co. are rock gods. Next up was Heaven and Hell who were also amazing and in top form. Fucking Dio! I need say no more. And of course, Judas Priest headlined, but unfortunately did not do "Living After Midnight" live, nor enough tracks from Nostradamus. Still they did the rest of the classics, and Halford rocked a sparkly cloak.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: U2's New Album Delayed: It would've been nice to get this one before the end of the year.

Comeback Artist of the Year: Guns N' Roses: Yeah, fine it didn't sell very well, but still, it's Axl and it was awesome. Not his fault people are stupid, and bought Kanye West's latest crap/whinefest.

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Patrick Robinson
(Reviewer, Heralded Hip-Hop Head, Dweller of the 37th Chamber )


Top Eight Albums of 2008:

1. T.I. - Paper Trail: My Number 1 and 2 picks are virtually interchangeable in terms of overall quality; however, I'm giving T.I. top honors this year because his album impressed me more than Nas'. That's not to say that Nas didn't make an awesome album, far from it. The thing is, is that we've expected that level of quality from Nas, whereas T.I. is coming off the fiasco that was T.I. Vs. T.I.P.. Paper Trail is my personal choice for Top Album this year because it showed that T.I. was ready to hang with the heavyweights on more than a regional or national level, but a worldwide level. Entertaining subject matter, backed by top quality production makes Paper Trail my favorite album of 2008.

2. Nas - Untitled: Once again Nas came at us with a release surrounded by controversy, but unlike Hip-Hop Is Dead, he largely delivered in terms of message and lyrical content. Although it hasn't sold as well as many of his previous works, I think this is actually one of his finer moments. For once, he had a clear goal in mind of the kind of music he wanted to make, FINALLY arranged some decent production for himself and managed to combine the two properly. The requisite ‘left-field' tracks we've come to expect from Nas didn't disappoint either as "Fried Chicken" and "Project Roach" were two of the most lyrically entertaining tracks of 2008. A quality release, which, if there were any justice in the sales world, would have gone Platinum by now.

3. Ice Cube - Raw Footage: 2008 saw the return of Ice Cube. The REAL Ice Cube, not the one who was using Lil Jon production to make a single just two years prior, but the Cube that was politically charged, and brought an intensity to the mic that was sorely lacking from his previous album. Raw Footage was indeed, quite raw, with Cube openly attacking the Government, wannabe gangsta rappers as well as the fans that only download music and refuse to support artists they enjoy. A couple of missteps such as "I Got My Locs On" and some unfitting production on "Get Use To It" prevented the album from rising any higher on my list, but really, in almost any other year this would have been the album to beat. Thank God that the REAL gangsta's back.


4. The Game - L.A.X.: Being a dedicated West Coast hip-hop fan for almost 10 years now, 2008 was certainly an enjoyable year with a returning Ice Cube, and Game's final album proving to be extremely entertaining, still without the presence of any Dre beats. It's a little disappointing to know that this was Game's final album, as he really came into his own on this release. He toned down the name-dropping, selected production, which fitted his lyrical style and largely chose a blend of gangsta rap and social commentary in terms of content, all significant improvements over his previous releases. I feel that the excessive guests hurt the album, as Game was often sharing mic time when he didn't need to, or regulated the guest to hook duty only, when he should have let them drop a verse, nevertheless, it's a memorable album, and one of the best of 2008.

5. Ne-Yo - Year Of The Gentleman: Although I didn't review this album for the site, I did take the time to listen to it thoroughly as Ne-Yo has impressed me more and more with each of his albums. Year Of The Gentleman I thought really combined a mature and grown approach to male R&B, making songs about love and respect for women which is rarely seen throughout a whole album anymore. I thought it was an excellent album in terms of Ne-Yo's song writing abilities, and Stargate's production fits Ne-Yo like a glove. The only reason this isn't higher, is because hip-hop will always be my first passion, and as a result, I see myself playing the higher albums on a more regular basis than this one. Otherwise, an outstanding release, and in my opinion, his best one to date.

6. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III: As someone who hated Lil Wayne with an intense passion a little more than a year ago, to undergo a complete turn around and actually ENJOY his music signifies something important. I'll readily admit that Tha Carter III wasn't perfect, nor was it a classic, but what it represents to me, is Lil Wayne finally producing official (in terms of a non-mixtape release) proof, that he's not all full of crap, and that he can make quality music when he puts his mind to it. His rapping at times, was really off, and made me think that possibly writing lyrics down couldn't have been a bad thing, and there was an absolutely horrible track in "La, La", but there were more times when I laughed aloud at something brilliantly absurd, or was genuinely impressed with his sincerity on "Tie My Hands".

7. Common - Universal Mind Control: People are disliking this mainly because we're not used to Common rapping over Neptunes style production, nor the subject matter he's rapping about on a couple of tracks. As someone who is usually smooth, and the epitome of a gentleman in rap, a track like "Sex 4 Suga" seemed really out of place coming from him. However, the few ‘what the hell?' moment tracks aside, Common didn't sound totally out of his element on bouncy club / electro inspired production. Most importantly, it was obvious that he was enjoying himself in the process of making the music, something that I feel artists don't show enough of in their work. It's certainly not his best album, but it's still infinitely better than what mostly passes as hip-hop on the radio these days.

8. Snoop Dogg - Ego Trippin': I was really disappointed with Snoop's Blue Carpet… album, as virtually everything apart from "Think About It", and the two final tracks irritated me in some way. Whether it was The Neptunes generic attempt at gangsta production, or too much Akon, coupled with the fact that the album was about four tracks too long, made Blue Carpet… a real disappointment. What a surprise Ego Trippin' was then! Instead of tired subject matter, we got experimental sounds, guests as well as vocal effects. Ego Trippin' may not have been the best West Coast album out this year, but it was definitely one of the strangest.

Most Annoying Album of the Year: Rocko - Self Made: It astounds me sometimes as to how exactly someone can believe they are a talented rapper when releases such as this come out. Nothing about this album worked in the slightest. The production was boring and uninspiring, the lyrics were at best, ridiculous, and at worst, completely cringe-worthy. Really, the only reason as to WHY this actually got an official release, is that it was released mainly through his own label. It annoys me that ‘artists' like Rocko can get a release date, and have people actually buy the album (it sold 28,000 copies in it's first week) when talented artists stuck on the mixtape grind like Royce, Bishop Lamont, Saigon (wherever he is) and Papoose (see Saigon), can't secure a release date to save their lives.

Biggest Music News of the Year: R. Kelly Goes To Trial: It only took six years, but R. Kelly finally went to trial for 21 counts of sex with a minor, and various other child pornography related charges, what most people may know for the fact that he supposedly urinated on the girl in the videos. After years of jokes from various comedians, we now have to find a new target, as he was found innocent after less than a day of jury deliberations. I guess we'll have to find new material now.

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Common's Album Doesn't Blow: Call this the complete opposite of Kanye's album in that I was guaranteeing myself that Universal Mind Control would be terrible based on the fact that Pharrell was so heavily involved with the project. However, it was a fun album, and I think it allowed Common to relax and step outside his usual comfort zone in hip-hop, which many artists aren't bold enough to do. This was certainly the most pleasant surprise of 2008 for me.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Lil Wayne: Although Lil Wayne's been rapping for more than 10 years now, he hasn't ever had a single of his own within the Top 10 on the Billboard charts. The closest he ever got was "Go DJ" back in 2004, which peaked at Number 14. I think therefore, for Lil Wayne to come through in 2008 with to Top 10 tracks in "Lollipop" and "A Milli", as well as sell over a million copies of Tha Carter III in the first week of sales, he deserves the title of breakthrough artist of 2008. Ladies and gentleman, like him or not, Lil Wayne is here to stay for years to come.

Comeback Artist of the Year: Ice Cube: Whilst Laugh Now, Cry Later wasn't a terrible album, it certainly wasn't the best album Cube could have done, especially after six years away from the rap game. Raw Footage I think was a much, much better return to form for the Father of Gangsta Rap and hopefully Cube will keep that passion and intensity in future projects to come.

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Fred Richani
(Reviewer)


Top Eight Albums of 2008:

1. Nas – Untitled: Nasir Jones caused so much controversy this year it wasn't even funny. From challenging Bill O'Reilly (what rapper hasn't) to boycotting FOX News to attempting to release an album that displayed the N-Bomb, Nas was always in the center of controversy in 2008. Such hype and attention put an immense amount of pressure for God's Son to release a stellar album and he did just that—no title and all. Untitled should be considered a classic and one of Nas's best albums. Sure, people may crap on him and say "Hero" and "Make The World Go Round" were lame attempts at getting more mainstream, but they were hot tracks that didn't hurt the album. Besides, Nas has the right to make a lil' extra dough after all he has done for hip-hop.

The best track on this LP is probably "Black President", where he talks about Barack Obama and how America can eventually end racism on a larger scale and elect a president of color. Untitled is the socially conscious album that hip-hop needed. Killer Mike and Ice Cube did their parts, but Nas got the most attention and had the greatest impact. Untitled makes America take a look in the mirror regarding issues with race and religion. Ladies and gentleman, I present to your 2008 Album of the Year.

2. Lil Wayne – The Carter III: Has there been a rapper that has dominated the charts this year anymore than Weezy F. Baby? I think not. While the album is not the all-time classic people hoped for, it still is chalk full of more than enough hot and catchy singles that make this album a lot more memorable than his previous efforts. "Comfortable", "A Milli", "Got Money", "Mr. Carter", and of course the Number One Hit "Lollipop" all made The Carter III revitalize hip-hop. Not the greatest rap album of all time, but how can you hate a man that has sold 3 MILLION copies of his LP in less than a year's span in today's economy?! Heck, Wayne is still doing close to 20K a week on SoundScan. That is a huge accomplishment in mainstream rap, especially when it seems like it is based on the flavor of the month these days. You may not love the album or the artist, but you cannot deny Lil Wayne's ability and his overall impact this year.

3. Coldplay – Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends: I listen to everything and let me to tell you—Viva la Vida is a damn good album. To be quite honest, this album does more for me than A Rush Of Blood To The Head and X&Y. Sure, Kanye West did well with an experimental album, but Coldplay just did it better. Not only did the album get some Grammy love, but love from Coldplay fans. To date, it has been the number-one-selling album in 36 countries around the world. That's a pretty big deal, folks. For everything that Coldplay's accomplished, they never had a #1 single until "Viva La Vida". The great use of strings and always awesome vocals by lead man Chris Martin make Viva La Vida an album that satisfies longtime fans, new listeners, and those in between. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends is an enjoyable release from top to bottom by a band that consistently puts out great material.

4. Ne-Yo – Year of The Gentleman: Usher may have had a Number One Hit in "Love In This Club", but face it—Ne-Yo had the better album. All the songs on this album are not only well-written, but show newcomers like The-Dream and young veteran Chris Brown that he runs the R&B game at this point in time. "Closer" is the first and best single on the album, setting the mood for the rest of Year of The Gentleman. Great production only added to the easy listening of this album. Amazingly, Ne-Yo also separated himself from artists in the hip-hop and R & B game by not having any guest appearances and carrying Year of The Gentleman all by himself. Some artists can't even go three songs doing that. R&B's favorite gentleman made it look too easy.

5. T.I. - Paper Trail: America loves a comeback and T.I. certainly made one this year, through all the adversity he has been through. Two #1 hits and redefining the word "Swagger" make this album his most commercially successful yet. As far as lyrical ability, Tip shines through and holds his own against his high profile guest stars in Nas, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Ludacris—as if there was any reason to deny his lyrical ability. The big difference with this album compared to his last couple of efforts is that T.I. actually wrote a majority of his songs, as opposed to going by memory alone. Critics and the consumer agree: Paper Trail is more than a good look for the Rubberband Man.

6. Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak: I had the pleasure of reviewing this experimental and ground-breaking (at least in hip-hop) album by Kanye West. I will admit, it took time for
808s to grow on me, but when it did, I was bumping that day and night. This is not even a rap album. Heck, it's not even a Pop album. It's so hard to classify what genre this album is and that is the beauty of it. Hip-hop has been limiting itself to the same old s***, so allow Mr. West to break down even more barriers in the game—in addition to the ones he has already smashed with his three previous albums. The lyrics may not win everybody over, but the production is phenomenal. 808s combines elements of the 80s, early 90s, hip-hop, pop, and unique sounds that you would expect to hear on a Linkin Park or Depeche Mode album. An uncanny mix of genres makes 808s & Heartbreak more than just some concept or experimental album. It makes it a valuable piece of Kanye West's already impressive discography.

7. Ice Cube – Raw Footage: The O.G. from Cali returned to show cats in the rap game that no one is realer than him. Not realer in the sense of being hard, but being able to tell it like it is—without pressure of a major label to succeed. Unlike other rappers, Ice Cube doesn't have to rap, he wants to. Don't know what a pyroclastic flow is? Listen to "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do it", where Cube emphatically states that America blames rap way too often for problems with its youth—because it's not the parents who should take the blame or anything. Raw Footage is exactly what ANY album should be: a collection of songs that can bring vivid imagery and evoke feeling to those that listen. Ice Cube does this so well, just as he has for many years.

8. Killer Mike – I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II: Wait, what?! For those who do not know who Killer Mike is, try checking out his music on MySpace. You may remember him from his collaborations with Outkast, particularly "The Whole World" and "Poppin Tags" featuring Jay-Z. So how does a man that only SoundScanned less than 10,000 units to date get on my list after bouncing around labels all these years? It's simple. He puts out one of the most lyrically murdering and thought provoking albums in recent memory. The only reason Killer Mike is not higher on this list is due to his lack of mainstream exposure/appeal. "Pressure" featuring Ice Cube is the most thought provoking song and video one can ever listen to and watch. The man is the Ice Cube of the south. Still don't believe me? T.I. even went on record as saying Killer Mike is probably the best rapper in the ATL not named Tip. T.I. tested, 411 approved.

Most Annoying Album of the Year: Soulja Boy – iSouljaBoyTellEm: It's Soulja Boy again, only this time, without a hot single that's tearing up the charts. The result is crap. I don't know how else to describe this garbage. Soulja Boy is good producer, great self promoter, and awful rapper.

Biggest Music News of the Year: Guns N' Roses Releases Chinese Democracy: The fact that GN'R released a new album makes this the biggest news of 2008. Almost as much as Axl Rose not promoting the album for two months…wait, that's not a surprise.

Favorite Concert of the Year: Madonna - Sticky and Sweet Tour: No, I don't like Madonna, but the rumors that A-Rod has been tagging along with her must make for some awesome gossip backstage. And even though I'm not a fan, I have seen videos of her live performances and they are pretty damn good. Besides, who doesn't like watching a 50 year old wannabe MILF in tight leather? Anyone?

Guess not.

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Britney Spears Is Hot Again: Make fun of me all you want, but I still can't believe it!

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Dr. Dre's Detox Not Released: If Chinese Democracy was thought of to never see the light of day and it did, then maybe, just maybe, Dr. Dre will release his long awaited album. I've heard the BS—he wants it to be perfect, he's not ready, etc. C'mon already! Give Dre one hot radio single with Eminem and 50 Cent to lead off the album and he will scan 500K in a week no problem. Who does Dr. Dre and his team of writers have to compete with? Nobody! He's Dr. F'N Dre. I'm still holding out hope, but it's very minimal at this point.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Lil Wayne: Lil Wayne may have already accumulated Platinum plaques, but he never had the commercial success to go along with it. Numerous Top 20 hits and 3 million albums later, Weezy F. Baby is on top of the hip-hop world.

Comeback Artist of the Year: T.I.: So how do you come back after losing your best friend and facing felony charges?

Release an album that is real to the bone with dope lyrics and ill production. Here's another way after you do that: Make sure you end up with three Top 5 hits including two that went number one. Oh, and make sure your album goes platinum in a relatively short amount of time.

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Weng Yu
(Reviewer, The man you'll see after The Show, at the After Party in the Hotel)


Top Eight Albums of 2008:

1. Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things: This is totally biased, but Jason Mraz is one of my all time favorite singers. I saw him in concert three years ago, and he is the best live singer I have ever heard. Out of all the releases this year, I have listened to this one the most, so number one it is. He may not be ground breaking or innovative, but his quirky folk rock songs combined with the obvious soul in his voice marks him out as a unique talent who deserves a greater audience.

2. Solange Knowles - Sol-Angel And The Hadley St Dreams: Overlooked by most, this was inspired by the Motown sound of the 60's and 70's. Solange displays more soul and maturity than her older sister with this release, and in the days of pop R&B fluff clogging up the charts, is a welcome throwback to the era of Motown soul.

3. Adele - 19: Virtually unknown outside of the UK for most of the year, Adele has come strong very late in year and capped off 2008 with four Grammy nominations. One to look out for, her soulful voice is controlled and emotive, and brings back memories of Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald.

4. Robin Thicke - Something Else: The Evolution of Robin Thicke was always going to be hard to follow, but Robin Thicke didn't disappoint. Something Else expands on his smooth soulful style by ditching the R&B pop for a more acoustic sound.

5. Keyshia Cole - A Different Me: I reviewed this recently and praised this as one of the strongest R&B albums of the year.

6. Jennifer Hudson - Jennifer Hudson: This was a surprisingly good album, as she tried a lot of different styles ranging from club bangers to gospel to Motown to neo soul. It's rare to find artists with such versatility.

7. Ne-Yo - Year of the Gentleman: A lot has been said about this already but I will add this, the only reason I ranked it so low is because of the inconsistency Ne-Yo has always displayed. Songs like "Nobody" and "Miss Independent" are very good, but there's also terrible songs like "Single" and "Stop This World". Plus there was a number of really good songs that for some reason didn't make the final cut, which is quite baffling. Could have been so much better.

8. Eric Benet - Love & Life: Considering how forgettable his last album Hurricane was, it was a major achievement to bag two Grammy nominations for this new album. It's a good reminder of why Benet was a star 10 years ago.

Most Annoying Album of the Year: Soulja Boy – iSouljaBoyTellEm:This clown is a cancer to the music industry.

Biggest Music News of the Year: Kanye Uses A Vocoder: Full of attitude, treating his fans like crap, and that damned auto-tune. Kanye has taken up a huge amount of column inches this year, so the dubious award goes to him.

Favorite Concert of the Year: Projekt Revolution ( Linkin Park and Jay-Z), Milton Keynes Bowl: Before this it's been two years since I've been to any concerts. After seeing this, it's made me wonder why I haven't been to a gig for so long,

Biggest Surprise of the Year: L'il Wayne Selling 5 million Albums: Terrible album, worldwide critical acclaim, and great sales figures. It just doesn't add up.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Usher: When "Love In This Club" dropped, I knew immediately that Usher would not live up to expectations. It's the worst single that he's ever released, and would never have made the cut on any of his previous albums. Sadly I was proven correct, as Here I Stand was a step back from soulful maturity of Confessions. While I'm still listening to Confessions after four years, Here I stand was shelved after a month.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Leona Lewis: She became the first British female singer since Kim Wylde in 1987 to top the Billboard 100 with "Bleeding Love", her debut album Spirit has gone platinum, and she's also sporting 3 Grammys nominations. That's good enough for me.

Comeback Artist of the Year: Jason Mraz: After his last album Mr A-Z flopped in the charts, and was critically panned, Mraz has made a made a successful comeback this year mostly based on the worldwide appeal of the hit single "I'm Yours".

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Not done yet! Make sure to check out PART 3 of the 2008 Year In Review Staff Picks!