I'll do my favorite albums of the year according to genre:
Metal
Cobalt -
Gin
1. Gin
2. Dry Body
3. Arsonry
4. Throat
5. Stomach
6. A Clean, Well-Lighted Place
7. Pregnant Insect
8. Two-Thumbed Fist
9. The Old Man Who Lied His Entire Life
10. A Starved Horror
A lot of people have been singing this album as a true metal album, stripping away all the bullsh
it that has afflicted the genre in recent years. 2009 was a very good year for metal and I, two Devin Townsend releases, Immortal's first album in yonks, and some really good post-metal releases by ISIS, Pelican, and Russian Circles. At the end of the day though my hat goes off to Cobalt and their third album
Gin which is just an incredible array of sounds that cannot accurately be defined. At times the album has a very progressive sound to it, with long intricate solos and a real wall of sound, and then at other times it's just a dissonant chaotic mess. It really is one of those albums that needs to be listened to through headphones to truly appreciate and hear all the sounds and to try and understand the lyrics, which I've been told tell the a story about the lives of authors like Hemmingway and Hunter S. Thompson. Truly sublime from start to finish that belongs in every metal head's library.
Hip Hop
Gift of Gab -
Escape 2 Mars
1. E2mtro
2. El Gifto Magnifico
3. Light Years
4. Dreamin' (ft. Del the Funky Homosapien & Brother Ali)
5. In Las Vegas
6. Escape 2 Mars
7. Electric Waterfalls
8. Richman, Poorman
9. Somathapeople
10. Spotlight
11. Rhyme Travel
2009 didn't hold up as well as previous years for hip hop, however there were a few gems that dropped this year. My favorite Southern trio CunninLynguists dropped two albums this year, however they lacked the same spark that previous albums had and seemed to be made up of B-Side material. P.O.S. was a new artist I discovered this year (along with a few other people it seems), but I felt
Never Better seemed to meander around a bit towards the middle. After I found out my favorite Mega Man inspired hip hop artist Random put out a new album I was seriously considering it to be my favorite hip hop album of 2009. That all changed when I learned my absolute favorite MC, Gift of Gab, had a new solo album coming out this year.
Escape 2 Mars just further proves how skilled Gift of Gab is at delivery, riding the beat, and writing truly intelligent yet unpretentious lyrics. Gab has been absent from the hip hop community for a few years now, while he did collaborate with the Might Underdogs last year, his last work with Blackalicious was back in 2005 and his previous solo album came out in 2004. This time off has not been ill spent as he continues to prove how much he has mastered the genre. If you have not yet heard of this artist or did not know this album was out, do yourself a favor and PM me and I will be more than happy to provide a download because this is truly an amazing album that everyone who likes hip hop should have.
Indie
The Protomen -
Act II: The Father of Death
1. Intermission
2. The Good Doctor
3. Father of Death
4. The Hounds
5. The State Vs. Thomas Light
6. Give Us the Rope
7. How the World Fell Under Darkness
8. Breaking Out
9. Keep Quiet
10. Light Up The Night
11. The Fall
12. Here Comes The Arm
As I'm not really that familiar with the genre that Indie has become, this wasn't a tough decision at all. I'm not sure if anyone else here is familiar with the band so here's just a little background information on them. The Protomen is a six piece indie band from Mississippi who play Mega Man inspired music. Both of their albums have been concept albums about the titular character Mega Man and his search for identity as well as battling the evil Dr. Wily. If you're unfamiliar with the series then you may not catch all the subtle references or jokes, but it will not stop you from enjoying their catchy music.
Act II: The Father of Death is far more grand than the self-titled debut, with a wide range of musical influences from country all the way to Meatloaf-esque epic pop. You can really tell how much effort was put into this album as it really does sound grand and complete. If you like the Mega Man games and rock music then this a band that you definitely need to check out.
Country
Corb Lund -
Losin' Lately Gambler
1. Horse Doctor, Come QUick
2. Steer Rider's Blues
3. A Game In Town Like This
4. Alberta Says Hello
5. Talkin' Veterinarian Blues
6. It's Hard To Keep A White Shirt Clean
7. Long Gone to Saskatchewan
8. Devil's Best Dress
9. The Only Long Rider I Know
10. Chinook Wind
11. This Is My Prairie
12. Rye Whiskey / Time To Switch To Whiskey (Live in Australia)
This was probably the hardest decision of the year because of Guy Clark's album
Somedays The Song Writes You and Pinebox Serenade's sophomore album
Let The River Take Them Home, however in the end Corb Lund's new album proved to be victorious. It seems that Corb knew it'd be hard to try and top his previous album
Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! so he decided to try and improve on the previous album to that one
Hair In My Eyes.... The album is certainly a return to his roots, songs tend to be more about life in the prairies, manual labor, and gambling.
Losin' Lately Gambler does feature more of Corb's humorous side, which is always enjoyable and welcome, and the inclusion of a live track just shows the listener how much the crowd is a part of his shows. A truly great addition to his already strong itinerary and my favorite country album of 2009.
If anyone wants any or all of these albums, please feel free to PM me and I will hook you up with a link.