These are the albums that I (keyword coming up) discovered in 2010. They can be years old or months old, but I first listened to them this year.
In no order…
Refused – The Shape of Punk to Come
As the last album for Sweden’s Refused, they produce the genre defining “The Shape of Punk to Come” and the album describes it perfectly. This is the definitive hardcore punk album that everyone needs to hear. Dennis Lyxzén’s vocals are unmatched.
Waxdolls – High Speed Killer Ride
This album is by far the best electro-rock album that I’ve ever heard and I re-listen to it everywhere. Every song is memorable, and that’s saying a lot for an somewhat unknown Belgian electro group. I tried contacting them to get a physical copy of this album, and the only way you can (as of Dec 31 2010) is to do a Belgian bank transfer to the record label’s account. No Paypal or web payments. How pirate-inducing can that get?
This album is the best dubstep I’ve heard. Combining industrial elements and hard synths into something magical. The song “First” featuring The Unik is exceptionally good.
The best/most memorable symphonic folk metal I’ve ever heard. Check out the single From Afar.
A classically trained musician making downtempo music. What more could you want? This features a ton of live instruments such as violin, cello, viola, and even banjo. The opening track “A Necessary End” got me hooked.
If Trent Reznor made an IDM album, this would be it. An awesome blend of jazz, industrial, electronica, and drum and bass make an exceptional combo of sounds. A first time listener must listen to the album beginning to end to get the full effect of what this has to offer.