Rishloo - Eidolon (2007)
An intriguing independent release I picked up recently; kind of like a Tool being fronted by a more versatile vocalist. Its one of those rare albums with a strong grasp of both the loud and the quiet, and I like that in my metal.
Have A Nice Life - Deathconciousness (2008)
Lo-fi shoegaze with lots of space, sparse electronic fog and folk touches throughout. Spellbinding.
Univers Zero - Clivages (2010)
Been quite awhile since this impeccable outfit has released a studio album, and all in all I'd place this as one of their strongest albums since
Heresie from the late 70's. It's quite lighthearted as far as R.I.O. goes, but the rich instrumentation and memorable grooves make this a major highlight of the year for me so far.