10. The Alchemy Index: Part II - Water by Thrice




Up to now, I have never praticullarily been a fan of Thrice, but with the relase of there new album "The Alchemy Index", they have proven me wrong, but mainly with part two, Water ( I personally dont like the agrresive pop-punksih nature of Fire, but Water is brilliant). With Water, Thrice have crafted an atmospheric, emotional album in the vein of certains aspects of the Deftones or Anathema. Good examples of this are on tracks like Digital Sea, and The Whaler which conjure up images of a lonely man lost at sea. All and All, Water is an EXCELLENT album that really took me by surprise, and i cannot wait to hear what they have in store for Earth and Air.

9. Elect The Dead by Serj Tankian



When critically acclaimed Heavy Alternative band, System of a Down announced they where going on hiatus in 2005, worry broke out regarding the fate of the members, luckily frontman Serj Tankian broke out with a solo album that is in the vein to previous SOAD releases with just enough changes to make it its own entity. The most notable improvment is in the intoduction of Piano which gives the album a much more sophisticated feel, most notably on personal album fav, Lie Lie Lie, which starts with a piano intro then busts into a strange avant-garde like verse. Serj Tankian can sing...there is no denying thatm but it is exmplified even more on this album with tracks such as Beethoven's C**t and Saving Us. This is a great album which should be listened to by all fans of System of a Down or rock in general.

8. Neon Bible by The Arcade Fire



By far one of the most anticipated albums of the year, Neon Bible is the latest relase by Canadian Art-Rock saviours, The Arcade Fire and have delivered a worty follow up to 2005's hit, Funeral. The Arcade Fire's music can only be described as art, for that is what it is at its core music made for the love of music, not for the money or the excess, this is music at its purest form. It is exmplified further in tracks such as No Cars Go and Windowsill. This is def. one of the best albums of the year and is a nessiscity for any fan of music in general.

7. Anatares by Sybreed



Being from a country which is better known for its chocolate and wooden shoes then it's music, Swiss Industrial band, Sybreed have had it rough getting known. Luckily for them if they keep writing albums like Slave Design and its follow up Anatares, they shouldnt have much trouble. Sybreed have a good mixture of intensity, and melodisim with some amazing industrial synths and keyboards added in that give the whole album a whol sci-fi feel. The nice thing about Sybreed is that they are a refreshing change in pace from Tolkien-ism, Violence or Emotive Themes that are pridominant in metal. Sybreed is a greadt badn too check out and Antares is a good album to start with.

6. Hangman's Hymn by Sigh



While not as frantic, manic or just plain intense as Montreal's Unexpect, Sigh still create amazingly werid and pyschotic avant-garde metal with a certain asain flair to it. There music is very unique and is something to truley be heard, since there is not much like it out there. The best example of there music is the amazing "Inked in Blood" which starts with a symphonic beginning which emulates the feeling of descension, following by manic laughter,it then speraticaly goes into a cheesy power-metalish guitar solo, then shifting to black-metal squeals that eventually leads into clean singing. Sigh are a great band and Hangman's Hymn is one of the most original of the year.
Honorable Mentions
Your Angels - Thier Demons by Miseration
Situation by Buck 65
Sworn to a Great Divide by Soilwork
Unia by Sonata Arctica
Colors by Between the Buried and Me
In Rainbows by Radiohead
The Divine Conspiracy by Epica
Liberation = Termination by Mors Principium Est
Aberrations of the Mind by Morgana Lefay
Era Vulgaris by Queens of the Stone Age
A Natural Death by HORSE the Band
Ithypallic by Nile
Collateral Defect by Graveworm
New Wave by Against Me!
Blackhawks Over L.A. by Strung Out
United Abominations by Megadeth
Fear of A Blank Planet by Porcupine Tree
The Novella Resivoir by Novembers Doom
King of the Grey Islands by Candlemass
Systematic Chaos by Dream Theater

and with that....stay tuned within the next week for my top 5 choices...