Best Music of 2003

[Thrax]

We've done "best of" threads for everything else. Time for music.

Here are my picks:


Anthrax - We've Come for You All
After eight years of label troubles, Anthrax has released its comeback album. And what a comeback it is. From the acoustic introduction leading into the thrashy What Doesn't Die (why doesn't Metallica make songs like this anymore?) to the radio friendly Safe Home to Nobody Knows Anything and Black Dahlia, both of which prove that Charlie Benante is an octopus in disguise, every metal fan needs this album. Heck, even if you're not a metal fan, you should give We've Come for You All a listen. Added bonus: Roger Daltrey of The Who fame sings backup vocals on Taking the Music Back.

And a runner up.


Living Colour - CollideØscope Individual tracks available for 99¢ each from the new, legal Napster.
They're back. This is Living Colour's first new album in ten years. They haven't lost a step in all that time. The band that refuses to stick to a single genre of music has produced another gem. CollideØscope shows an increased emphasis on industrial, but it's hardly dominant. Songs range from metal to pop to jazz to blues to raggae and everything in-between. Despite the many styles of music, everything somehow fits perfectly. The cover of AC/DC's Back in Black is a nice bonus. Not as good as the cover of The Clash's Should I Stay or Should I Go on the 2002 re-release of Vivid, but still pretty good. Who knew that Corey Glover could get his voice so high?

So what was your favorite new music of 2003?

[Corrado]

Radiohead-"Hail To The Thief."

Dido-"Life For Rent."

[Morpheus]

The White Stripes- Elephant

The Strokes- Room on Fire

[Xfox]

My favorite albums of the year are in my signature.

My favorite song of the year- Audisolave "Show Me How To Live"

[purplehairedwonder]

I've really liked the new Linkin Park CD (Meteora). That, and the latest Three Doors Down single (I haven't heard the album).

[Carolina Red]

1. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
2. Zwan - Mary Star of the Sea
3. Dream Theater - Train of Thought
4. The Darkness - Permission To Land
5. A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
6. The Offspring - Splinter
7. Local H - The No Fun EP
8. Andrew WK - The Wolf
9. Liam Lynch - Fake Songs
10. The Strokes - Room On Fire

Best singles of the year:
1. Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom
2. The Mars Volta - Son Et Lumiere/Inertiatic ESP
3. Supersuckers - Rock and Roll Records (Ain't Sellin' This Year)
4. !!! - Me and Giuliani Down By the School Yard (a true story)
5. The White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button

Looking forward in 2004 to new albums by: Local H, Velvet Revolver, Phantom Planet, Liars.....there will probably be more as I learn about them and as the year goes on!

[Djm912]

1. Opeth's Damnation
2. Dream Theater's Train of Thought
3. Edge of Sanity's Crimson II
4. Evergrey's Recreation Day. I'm not completely sure if that came out this year, because it was so close to the beginning.

[Tapout]

It wasn't exactly a great year for me musically. I only bought five CDs this year, two were Greatest Hits collections (Pantera and Rob Zombie) and one was stand-up comedy (Jim Norton). The others were Metallica's St. Anger and Shadow Zone by Static-X. Both very good IMO, as I'm not on the 'hate everything Metallica's done after 1991' bandwagon, but neither are spectacular either.

[Sailor Chibi Otaku]

Iron Maiden: Dance of Death

VOIVOD: VOIVOD

Metallica: St. Anger (I'm still trying to listen to the whole album. It's so hard!! )

Memoria: A Journey through the Middle Ages

[Andy Mancini]

My top five albums of the year, from five to one:

5) Erin McKeown - "Grand"
4) The White Stripes - "Elephant"
3) Catch 22 - "Dinosaur Sounds"
2) Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - "High Numbers"
1) Fountains of Wayne - "Welcome Interstate Manangers"

[Storm]

CD:

Dido: "Life for Rent"

Coldplay: "Rush of Blood to the Head"

Sarah McLachlan: "Afterglow"


Singles:

Christina Aguilera: "The Voice Within"



{drawing a blank}



- Storm

[Mynd Hed]

This was a pretty slow year for new CDs for me, although I did discover quite a few excellent selections from past years (such as J5's "Quality Control").

I suppose my favorite new release this year would have to be 311's "Evolver." Usually, when a band that's been around as long as 311 comes out with something new, it tends to be a combination of their old sound and whatever new sound is in vogue at the moment (which can be very good, very bad, or anywhere in between, depending on the band and the trendy new sound in question). But "Evolver" really came out of left field, with an excellent sound that's both a decently big departure from 311's previous albums and a nice change from the standard fare you hear on the radio lately. Good stuff.

[Matthew Williams]

The Darkness, Permission to Land, has more soul, effort, and spark than any CD I have heard in the last three years. Yes, that means it's quite an accomplishment.

Other than that, utter crap as per usual.

[Zero Signal]

I didn't end up buying much music this year, I just can't take alot of what's out right now.

My favorite album of the year was Dream Theater - Train of Thought. These guys never cease to amaze me with how good they can play. I guess playing G3 with Steve Vai inspired John Petrucci to lay into his guitar, and it never sounded better. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see them on tour this year.

My second favorite was a tie between Iron Maiden - Dance of Death and Anthrax - We've Come For You All. Two great albums that show some bands never lose their edge or change their style to sell more albums. Good to see the classic bands I grew up with still show people how to do it right.

Not a full album, but I have to give a special mention to the single for Trigger by In Flames. They do a great cover of the Genesis classic Land of Confusion It's awesome, and I love 80's songs redone in a heavy style.

[sterfish]

My favorite CDs of 2003 in no particular order:

OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Basement Jaxx: Kish Kash
Radiohead: Hail to The Thief
Ludacris: Chicken-N-Beer
Kenna: New Sacred Cow
Missy Elliott: This is Not A Test
Hellsing Original Soundtracks RAID & RUINS (US Release 2003)
Jay-Z: The Black Album

[Chrono1995]

Most of the music I discovered this year was mostly from earlier years, but there were some albums that were awesome. In no particular order:

1. Radiohead - "Hail to the Thief"
2. The Mars Volta - "De-loused in the Comatorium"
3. Junior Senior - "D-D-D-Don't Stop the Beat"
4. Basement Jaxx - "Kish Kash"
5. Kenna - "New Sacred Cow"
6. The Constantines - "Shine a Light"
7. The White Stripes - "Room on Fire"
8. 311 - "Evolver"
9. The Strokes - "Room on Fire"

[Mynd Hed]

Ooh, I just remembered one that I can't believe I didn't mention before: Time-Lapse Consortium. High quality goodness all around.

[The Jinjo]

My favorite album of the year was Guster: Keep it Together. My runner up is The Strokes: Room on Fire

[Youko Recca]

Jay-Z:The Black Album
Chingy:Jackpot
Ludacris:Chicken & Beer

what else did I get....

[Sigma]

Opeth "Damnation"
Soilwork "Figure Number Five"
Arch Enemy "Anthems of Rebellion"
Dream Theater "Train of Thought"