DECIBELISE’S FAVORITE ALBUMS OF THE DECADE

While perusing Decibel’s Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of the Decade issue, my reactions to those that placed ranged from DUHHHH, to…EWWWW THAT? to….WHO???  At any rate, the issue is a damn good read.  One thing that’s been annoying me lately about all these “best of” lists that have circulating around is people who post big huge looooooooooong lists, like a Top 50, Top 100, etc….but for some reason make no attempt to write WHY any of the albums are so great.  Obviously, music has a huge emotional effect on all of us, so I would think that anyone who considers themselves somewhat of a “musical authority” would be able to at least write a few sentences on why a particular album brought they so much delight.  One thing that’s really fun about metal for me, is getting inside the heads of the people who like it, also.  I don’t want to just read a “grocery list.”  Ya know?

Well, Decibel delivered the goods with their clever team of writers.  I could sit here and write about all my absolute favorite albums, or my least favorite albums on it, but instead I would like to point out the not-so-Converge-esque-obvious, hidden gems that were included which had a large effect on my own personal musical attachment:

#74) Nasum - Human 2.0:  One time, several years ago, I was visiting a friend in Boston.  We went to a “metal party” one night while I was there.  The girl throwing the fest was this large girl with a huuuuge septum piercing.  She was really freaky looking to me.  That night, she just so happened to be wearing a Nasum t-shirt.  Basically, I was scared into listening to Nasum.  When I returned home after that weekend, I checked them out and became an instant fan.  I owe that girl….but I’m still scared that she’d beat me up.

#52) At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command:  I’m kind of confused as to why this is on the list since I wouldn’t technically call it “metal,” but obviously ATDI have always had a lot of crossover appeal, and it’s definitely one of my absolute favorite albums of all time.  It’s only #52…I assume it’d rank higher on a punk list?  Everything about this album is nonsense and I love it.  I still love analyzing all of Cedric’s ridiculous lyrics.  Manuscript replicaaaaaaa…….?

#19) Melt Banana - Cell-Scape:  I always liked Melt Banana as the band that was just completely crazy and all over the place, but I think this was the album where they proved that they were so much more than that.  It’s space-y, it’s fun, and it turned me Japanese.  It’s awesome.

#12) Discordance Axis - The Inalienable Dreamless:  If I’m not mistaken, this was the first grindcore album I ever heard.  I remember listening to it the first time thinking it was fucking perfect.  I hold all other grindcore to this standard.

Also, props to Sean Ingraham of Coalesce for putting Mitch Hedberg’s Strategic Grill Locations in his Top 5 list.  Keep it real, dude.

-Elise

MELT BANANA ARE A MUST-SEE

Buzzgrinder recently posted a couple pics of Melt Banana’s performance at Fun Fun Fun Fest…and from what I’ve been reading about it, the band is still on their game.

Whenever people ask me what the best show I’ve ever been to is….my knee-jerk response is always the one time when I saw these guys.  It was at the (now closed) Knitting Factory around 4-5 years ago.  An Albatross and Genghis Tron opened for them.  I just remember having so much fun that night.  The bands were fun.  The crowd was fun.  Everything was on point.  Melt Banana were just so….awesome and weird.  I remember reading an interview with them once and they claimed they were “normal.”  Yeah….no.

Anyway, they’re not in the US too often and they’re actually playing New York tonight.  Unfortunately…I already have tickets to see The Pixies so I have to miss it.  Oh well.  If you can go when they’re in your town, I highly suggest that you do.  Hopefully you’ll get to hear their Devo cover.

-Elise