2007's winding down and there's been a shitload of good music (and a shitload of bad music) released this year. So far, what are your favorites and disappointments?

I've got a bunch. Symphony X of course leads the way with "Paradise Lost," and Municipal Waste's "The Art of Partying" was amazing as expected. I really enjoyed Aesop Rock's "None Shall Pass." I also was down with Behemoth's new joint, "The Apostasy," and 3 Inches of Blood put out a solid album with "Fire Up The Blades." Of course I'll be adding another when the new Streetlight Manifesto drops as well.

As far as disappointment...The Smashing Pumpkins' "Zeitgeist" was really bad as I expected. Not even the same band. Porcupine Tree's "Fear of a Blank Planet" was really disappointing as well. Nothing even close to catchy on there and the title track was boring. Static-X's "Cannibal" was pretty lame, and I wasn't very impressed with Pig Destroyer's "Phantom Limb." Not many good songs on it. Bad Religion's "New Maps of Hell" was more of the same except losing luster, and once again Dream Theater slipped with "Systematic Chaos." The Foo Fighters put out an absolutely terrible effort too with "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace."

So I guess for a Top 5 either way...

The Good*

1. Symphony X - Paradise Lost
2. Municipal Waste - The Art of Partying
3. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
4. 3 Inches of Blood - Fire Up The Blades
5. Behemoth - The Apostasy

*(1-5). Insert Streetlight Manifesto album anywhere in here when it drops.

The Bad

1. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
2. Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell
3. Dir en grey - The Marrow Of A Bone
4. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
5. Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb

The "Holy Shit, That Sucked"

1. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
2. Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist
3. Arch Enemy - Rise of the Tyrant
4. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
5. Static-X - Cannibal

Kaddisfly's "Set Sail the Prairie" was surprisingly amazing.

Dream Theater's "Systematic Chaos" was painfully disappointing.

Cica Survive's "On Letting Go" had its moments, but on a whole didn't quite deliver what I've seen from Anthony Green before.

Punchline's "37 Everywhere" was fantastic.

Foo Fighters' "We Suck Now" was pretty self explanatory.

Grimes' "format for this post" is annoyingly repetitive.

I can probably count the number of 2007 releases I've heard on one hand buuuuuut

Liked:
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
Tomahawk - Anonymous

Disappointed:
The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet [this one in particular because Deadwing wasn't good either and I wanted something out of them this time]

Outside of soundtracks this is all that's coming to mind, maybe something else will come up later

Liked:

Kanye West - Graduation
Chamillionaire - Ultimate Victory
Arctic Monkeys - Favorite Worst Nightmare
Justice - †
Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion

Disappointed with:

Common - Finding Forever
T.I. - T.I. vs. T.I.P.
UGK - UGK (Underground Kingz)

Off the top of my head I can say that Linkin Park's "all new sound" wasn't even as good as the old repetitive nu-metal

Good:
Velvet Revolver-Libertad
Kid Rock-Rock N' Roll Jesus
Kayne West-Graduation

Bad:
Foo Fighters-Crap, Crap, Crap & Crap
Linkin Park-Minutes to Midnight
Chris Cornell-Carry On

The good

Bone Awl - Meaningless Leaning Mess (Ildjarn lives on in this vicious low-fi black punk massacre)
Slough Feg - Hardworlder (Heavy fuckin' metal, plain and simple)
Sodom - The Final Sign of Evil (Old school the way it should be, forget Trash Anthems)

The underwhelming

Darkthrone - F.O.A.D. (Possibly, I'm more undecided than anything because I now enjoy The Cult is Alive a lot despite disowning it last year)
Gallhammer - Ill Innocence (Alright but it has nothing on Gloomy Lights)
Limbonic Art - Legacy of Evil (Decent, but... why? This project already peaked years ago)
Municipal Waste - The Art of Partying (some good tracks but it just doesn't click with me like Hazardous Mutation)
Obituary - Xecutioner's Return (So it WASN'T just Ralph Santolla that made Stench of Redemption awesome..)
Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb (All filler, no thriller)

The omfg what the fuck was that

Abigor - Fractal Possession (Silenius-less Abigor still sucks, even after a hiatus)
Destruction - Thrash Anthems (Thanks for sterilizing the classics with modern pizazz, dudes)
Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao (How does such a terrible, offensive album receive the critical praise OAC has? Horrible.)
Overkill - Immortalis (Overkill digs their hole even deeper. Plus... Randall Blythe on MY Overkill? hell naw)

There are some other albums I haven't heard yet or haven't been released... Arghoslent, Mutiilation, Wolves in the Throne Room (Diadem was overrated as hell and Two Hunters follows the same format, but we'll see)...

Any way I could get you to upload that?

I don't pay attention to when anything comes out... I know I enjoyed a good amount of stuff released this year, though. Kanye's album sure was disappointing though, if you ask me. He's so full of himself that he makes it sound like he was releasing some listenable music, when in reality like 4 of the tracks are good. And fuck, Stronger is only good because of that Daft Punk sample. I want the instrumental to that song... (hint hint :3)

Good:

Kanye West - Graduation
Modern Life is War - Midnight in America
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Radiohead - In Rainbows

Disappointments:

!!! - Myth Takes
The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
Paul Wall - Get Money Stay True

Pretty sure that's it.

Sure. I'll do it later.

one of the best of the year-
underworld - oblivion with bells

The Good:
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight ( I personally liked it)
Interpol - Our Love To Admire
Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light (Haven't heard it all but like what I have heard)
Scary Kids Scaring Kids - Self Titled (Sooo gooood)
Three Days Grace - One X


Disappointing
Foo Fighters - What the fuck are we doing
Serj Tankian - Elect The Dead (I loved empty walls, but not the rest)
Silverchair - Young Modern (Grew tired of it quickly)

The Good

Interpol - Our Love to Admire
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Some Loud Thunder
Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
Bad Brains - Build a Nation

The Bad (actually more like OK)

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Spoon - Gagagagagagagagagaga (too many ga's?)
Black Lips - Good bad Not Evil

The Ugly

Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
Elliott Smith - New Moon (it's like they're stabbing him in the chest this time)

And I'm sure the new Streetlight Manifesto album will be great.

I liked Scarsick. I guess I don't listen to very much new music.

Pain of Salvation - Scarsick and Rush - Snakes & Arrows are okay. Nemo's Si Partie II is probably my favorite one so far. Systematic Chaos is one of the most disappointing albums I've ever heard. PT's Fear of a Blank Planet was disappointing too; they'll never make another In Absentia. The only other albums I'm planning on checking out before the end of the year are TSO's Night Castle and Ayreon's new album.

Pretty much what I think too. Sad.

I forgot about King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul... Please. I'd say it was pretty sucktastic but it has that goofy King Diamond charm that I can help but admire somewhat. Never Ending Hill's pretty good too, even if the riff is lifted from Painkiller

Coheed's newest album was released yesterday, it's great.

Good:

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Dinosaur Jr - Beyond
The Apples In Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder*
The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Mgmt - Oracular Spectacular

Underwhelming and/or haven't listened to closely enough to appreciate it:

The White Stripes - Icky Thump
Buck-O-Nine - Sustain
Beasty Boys - The Mix Up
Mustard Plug - In Black and White
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The Go! Team - Proof Of Youth


*They pulled a Her Wallpaper Reverie with this one, and it's like 1/2 not actual songs just noise tracks, which made me nostalgic for old school elephant 6 and I liked the actual songs on the album a lot.

Yeah, I'm adding Streetlight to my awesome list as expected.

None of this is in any particular order

Liked:
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (you guys are crazy for not liking this)
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jams
Justice - †
Blonde Redhead - 23
Caribou - Andorra
Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris
The Good, The Bad, & the Queen
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna
The Go! Team - Proof of Youth

Dissappointed:
Black Francis - Bluefinger
Good Life - Help Wanted Nights
The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
Interpol - Our Love to Admire
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead
Art Brut - It's a Bit Complicated
Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist
Freezepop - Future Future Future Perfect

Also for awesome:

1. Dinosaur Jr.- Beyond
2. Pissed Jeans- Hope For Men
3. The Ergs!- Upstairs/Downstairs
4. Holy Fuck- s/t EP
5. Municipal Waste- The Art of Partying

Thought there was one more...

good:
Radiohead - In Rainbows
QotSA - Era Vulgaris
Piggy D - Phantom Limb
Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger

I'll make a better list when I didn't just wake up.

Yeah dude, just because it's no Funeral doesn't mean it's not good.

That should be added to my list as well as the new streetlight album.

Best
1. Streetlight
2. Modest Mouse- We were dead
3. Minus the Bear- Planet of ice
4. Chamillionare- Ultimate Victory
5. KT Tunstall- Drastic Fantastic
6. Blue October- Foiled for the Last Time

Meh
1. Arcade Fire- Neon Bible (nowhere near Funeral but still decent)

that's it for me really

I'm not ranking or anything at this point. But

-Coheed's new album is good.
-Avenged Sevenfold's new one is not bad
-Really like the new Soilwork
-New Bobaflex is good and catchy as always
-I'm gonna get hate for this probably but I really liked Davey Havok's Blacq Audio

Pretty sure Blue October was an 06 album.

Pretty sure I was talking about the live album just released a couple months ago.

So here's an updated Top 5 for me.

1. Streetlight Manifesto - Somewhere In the Between
2. Symphony X - Paradise Lost
3. Municipal Waste - The Art of Partying
4. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
5. 3 Inches of Blood - Fire Up the Blades

Yeah yeah, I know. Here, enjoy.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZN4XDGTM

Thanks babe.

Damn, Ayreon's new album isn't going to be released until late January.

ROFL, that Foo Fighters album got nominated for Grammys.

Give me a goddamn break.

Thanks for the laughs, Grammy committee

Also lol, I went to look up the nominations on Wikipedia and noticed this:

"Best Metal Performance

As I Lay Dying -- Nothing Left
King Diamond -- Never Ending Hill
Machine Head -- Aesthetics Of Hate
Shadows Fall -- Redemption
Slayer -- Final Six"

Go King, Even if GMYSP wasn't that good!

Machine Head's latest album is so overrated. I was bored by it.

"Crank Dat" was also among the best Rap song nominations.

Milli Vanilli got a grammy. Anything can happen.

ITT: Music snobs.

Snobs face the Waste?

Yeah, I was confused by that too.

In any case, I was disappointed in As I Lay Dying and The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Electric Wizard - Witchcult Today

new BTBAM cannot be denied

I would say that the best albums of the year have been, in no particular order:

Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
M83 - Digital Shades Vol 1
The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

and I'll give props to Of Montreal's new album, it's entertaining but I don't know if I'd consider it one of the best.

I Love Soulja Boy and the new Every Time I Die. Best two CDs to play at a party.