Top 100 Greatest Albums (According to this guy)

“A broken record plays the same old song ;  It's getting old, dirty needle getting worn ;  Now you're ready, take the demons head on ;  Look em in the eye and say they gotta go ;  Get on behind me …” As a punk CD collector in my late teens, I would buy CDs by bands I never even heard of. In my later years as a vinyl enthusiast, with a family (and overdraft), my purchases are far more strategic, and have to be albums that I absolutely adore. But ‘Fight The Good Fight’ was the only album to date that I took the chance on and was so glad that I did! Some may say they are a copy of punk band Rancid and I partly agree. But in this case, it’s not a bad thing. I’ve owned nearly all Rancid albums, but it was their unique ska sound that really drew me to them. The likes of ‘Timebomb’, ‘I Wanna Riot’ etc… Unfortunately, it was the odd song here and there, and sometimes not even present on particular albums, hence none of them even make it into this list. The Interrupters have ...

“We go to practice almost every day;  And our conductor tells us how to play;  You blow the trumpet and I slap the bass;  We are a big ensemble called the human race…” Millencolin were one of those punk rock bands I had heard of, but never took the leap to buy an album. That was until I found a signed copy of ‘Kingwood’ in a charity shop in Petts Wood. It took me a while to really get into them, but safe to say, they are now one of my favourite Punk Rock bands. A far more hectic and angry style than the likes of the more commercial Punk bands, Millencolin tend to give us the gritty side of society and politics. Their sound is more toward the less cheesy side of the Offspring (eg.The Kids Aren’t Alright) yet a little more thrashy, and Nikola Sarcevic’s vocal tone fits so well. But they're not a shouty hardcore punk band. Songs tend to focus around the minor key and the melodies are excellent. There’s a lot of energy and heart in every song. They also use harmonies in a sub...

“I don't know what's worth fighting for, or  why I have to scream;  I don't know why I instigate  and say what I don't mean;  I don't know how I got this way,  I know it's not alright;  So I'm breaking the habit  tonight…” In my early teens, I would sneak into my oldest bro’s room and pull out Hybrid Theory to listen every now and then, specifically the song “Crawling”. Soon, he gave me the album saying “this is crap; it’s now yours…” or something along those lines. It was my first proper foray into heavy metal music and a very influential album for me, in more ways than just the music. Hybrid Theory almost took this spot, and not just because of the sentiment; it’s a fantastic album! But we look to their sophomore release, Meteora, which just pips it to my list. Whilst their debut gave us excellent songs and a new style in nu-metal, Meteora takes it to another level. There is more variety to the songs, the production is superb, and the vocals are far ...

“Sometimes I'm sure that I am crazy;  It's taking its toll, it 's making me old;  With half the winter still to go;  Maybe I'm afraid of love, maybe I'm afraid of pain; And maybe I'm afraid too much, maybe I'm afraid that I won't ever change…” It was August of 2006, and our first and only Reading Festival. Wanting to see the likes of Muse, Less Than Jake, Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Bedouin Soundclash and others around the Lockup Stage, we left the festival having discovered a new band, and one of our favourite acts of the weekend, Zox. They don’t really fit into the bracket of other bands. A mix of Sublime, The Pixies and Maximo Park; There is a ska influence, but mixed with indie rock. The  defining feature being an electric violin player, taking the role of lead guitar, producing an interesting and unique overdriven sound. Although this setup felt a little sparse to me in the studio recordings at first, I appreciate hearing the string nuances and ...