Top 10 albums of the year / Top 20 songs of the year

This has taken some fucking compiling. Here we go. There is only a vague order to both lists.

Top 20 songs of the year.

20. Portishead - Machine Gun - An incredible comeback single. Most of the rest of the album was boring, but this song is so cold, relentless and the shifts in drum and synth sounds are awesome.

19. Scarlett Johansson - Song For Jo - On an album of Tom Waits covers, this is the only original track and yet strangely the strongest. Siteks production is wonderful. Hazy.

18. Rolo Tomassi - Abraxas - possibly the strongest song they have ever written. Tech as hell, then an incredible riff at the end.

17. Jesu - The Stars That Hang Above - taken from a split with Envy, this is incredlble, the double kick programmed drums at the end and the absolute atmosphere this whole track holds.

16. Metaform - Brick and Mortar - the rest of the album is kinda laid back, but this is a bass-heavy stormer.

15. Minus - Black and Bruised - totally blown out sound, Incredible chorus, even better bridge.

14. Suffocate For Fuck Sake - We are driving through darkness - very intense start, before a load of brilliant ringing chords. Monumental.

13. Crystal Castles - Through The Hoisery - one of the less obvious tracks on the album, it never fails to hit the spot for me.

12. Weekend Nachos - Prioritize - ridiculous de-tuned power-violence at its best. This cropped up on a relapse comp.

11. Cut Copy - Far Away 80's nu-romantic/rave heaven?!?!

10. Slipknot - Psychosocial - the video/single version nearly ruined this track, but the album version has the best beatdown EVER. Listen hard for the scratching by sid that is tuned and timed perfectly in the beatdown.

9. Bring Me The Horizon - The Comedown - an absolute adrenaline rush. Anyone who denies this album as a tonne of fun is dumb.

8. Late of The Pier - Focker/Heartbeat - couldnt decide which track. 2 perfect singles on a solid, but slightly patchy album.

7. Tokyo Police Club - In A Cave - incredible, perfect single on a solid, if unremarkable album. The lyrics are lovely.

6. Bloc Party - Signs - tubular bells for the post-nu-rave generation? The vocals hit a perfect spot on occassion in this track.

5. Wiley - If you're going out, i'm going out too - summer party anthem! Grime-lite!

4. Food For Animals - Shhhy - the best noise-hop ever. Hail.

3. TV On The Radio - DLZ - the album is total solid, but this is a shining star of a tune. Sublime.

2. Throats - Hibernate - show me a better hardcore or metal song this year and i'll show you the door. The ending is jawdropping and it contains at least another 3 beyond insane riffs from heavy heaven.

1. Frankmusik - Done Done - this was a fucking b-side to a tour-only single. This is one of the best songs ever, nevermind just this year.

Top 10 albums of the year

10. Endless Blockade - Primitive - Perfectly produced, raging power-violence with noise-elements. Progressive without losing any focus

9. The Acacia Strain - Continent - this album is stupid too, and takes loads of listens to realise it's not just one song, but the lyrics are fucking pure hate, and this is the soundtrack to every shitty night and negative emotion of this year.

8. Gregor Samsa - Rest - This is better than the newest Sigur Ros album. Incredible pop-based slow ambient brilliantness.

7. This Is Hell - Misfortunes - perfect straight-ahead modern hardcore with no metal or frills.

6. Maruta - In Narcosis - the best, noisesit, most discordant grindcore album of the year.

5. K-The-I??? - Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow - the best progressive, textural hip-hop i've ever heard.

4. Friendly Fires - s/t - such a great, lush indie record. That's about it.

3. Krallice -s/t - Colin Marston of Behold The Arctopus and Mick Barr of Orthrelmetc out-do their day jobs with the best black metal album ever.

2. Blood Red Shoes - Box of Secrets - huge sounding, grunge/indie with perfect songs from start to finish.

1. Torche - Meanderthal - The perfect rock album for every stiuation, every party, every work day, every upper in life, every downer. Songs for every mood. A total rush with a backend of stoned hazy comedown perfection. Incredible Incredible stuff.